"The Island" is a great must see flick

Rating: 9/10 (21 July 2005)

"The Island"
It is baffling why the movie industry is off the mark this season in regard to sales. There are a lot of really great movies out there this year. The latest summer blockbuster is Michael Bay's "The Island." Having created his reputation with such excellent efforts as "Armageddon" and "The Rock," Bay is a perfect fit for this movie. His darkly rich while at the same time crude and seamy settings in tandem with his excellence in the "everything blows up" action sequence create a perfect match for this movie. If one is looking for a non-stop action thriller, this is the movie for them. In combination with decent writing, great cinematography, and some very fine performances, Michael Bay's talents are well utilized in a frenzied "locomotive-out-of-control" ride through the not so far in the future world of "The Island."
There is a compelling aspect to this movie from the very beginning. Ewan McGregor is Lincoln-Six-Echo one of the postage stamp residents of this brave new world. Indeed, one cannot help but remember "Brave New World", "Logan's Run," and even Woody Allan's "Sleeper" when visiting this post Armageddon existence in 2019. It is an antiseptic world where all the residents dress the same, act the same, and live their lives in the same "perfect" existence. There, every activity is controlled by some unseen computerized "god". What they eat, where they work, when they rest, and even when and where they play are controlled. The reason, according to the ex positional narrative, is that the earth has been destroyed and they are the last remnants of an otherwise decimated population. The only inhabitable place left on earth is "The Island" and their lives revolve around waiting to be picked in a lottery to go live on the island. All would be fine in this "flawless" existence were it not for the presence of some persistent inquisitiveness that exists in the mind of Lincoln-Six-Echo. We soon find out that all is not as it seems. With the appearance of a butterfly in the catacombs where Lincoln visits his computer geek friend, McCord (Steve Buscemi), Lincoln is convinced that there is an outside world and he is destined to discover where it is. This is where the movie takes off. We follow the Lincoln character through a series of discoveries that eventually lead him to the truth. So as not to spoil the film, those "truths" will not be discussed here. Suffice it to say that the journey is grand. Taking recent lottery winner Jordan-Two-Delta (Scarlet Johansson) with him, we frenetically experience one cataclysmic event after another so that we are literally worn out in the end. Some of the crash and action sequences in this film will go down in filmdom as the greatest ever filmed. Throughout it all we receive glimpses of the truth and the ending is enjoyable, mind boggling, grandly cinematic, and entirely satisfying.
There is something about McGregor's puppy dog look and his devil-may-care bad boy demeanor that are incredibly endearing. From the very beginning he has the ability to make the moviegoer become part of his existence, his inquisitiveness, and his ultimate adventure to find the truth. He is an actor who brings deeply etched characters to the screen; the type of characters that make us want to be a part of their lives. This is a crucial quality in the success of a film that could easily rely on action sequences to make its mark. Having an actor who has the talent and capacity to "pull" the audience along is a tremendous benefit. Because his character is the quasi narrator of the film, it falls on McGregor's shoulders to bear this burden. He does so brilliantly. Not to be outdone, Scarlet Johansson holds her own in her characterization. Because of the nature of their characters, they have to maintain an childlike innocence that is done very well. Except for a portion of McGregor's performance (no spoilers here) both actors are able to portray a realistic naiveté that is vitally important to the success of this film. There are other fine performances as well. As Merrick, the "psychologist" running the show, Sean Bean is deliciously evil through and through. Michael Clarke Duncan turns in a short but entirely satisfying performance as a lottery winner  quite possibly a "show stealer." Steve Buscemi is, as always, down and dirty but lovable all at the same time in his turn as McCord, a worker from the outside world who helps the two escapees on their quest. Lastly, one must not overlook another solid performance by Djimon Hounsou as a futuristic bounty hunter. He makes the most out of a small part by instilling heart and soul into his portrayal.
Bottom line is, this is a great flick. If you like blow-em-up action, you will love this film. If you like man-against-the machine, you will love this film. If you like happy endings, and a little romance, you will love this film. Go see it, you won't regret it.